Barwon Heads PS Newsletter

Principal's Message

School Vision - To empower students to enrich the world around them.

Welcome to the first addition of our newsletter for Term 2. 

I would like to congratulate the students for their positive start to the term, launching into learning and wellbeing activities with energy and effort from the get-go. Luca and Van along with their classmates in year 3 put in a great deal of effort into learning different strategies to support their learning about addition. 

 

In this newsletter you can read about:

  1. Teaching and Learning Model for Reading and Writing
  2. The importance of Effort in Academic Achievement
  3. A Reminder about the Restorative Approach
  4. Staff in the Spotlight
  5. Attendance 
  6. Voluntary Contributions

 

Staff in the Spotlight

Kate McIntyre and Raelee Wilding- are a dynamic duo in our Foundation team and have been able to successfully support our newest students to thrive in their first term at school. The preps are very settled and definitely engaged in their learning. 

The foundations were laid with rigorous assessment early in the piece with Kate and Raelee demonstrating in their planning, lesson delivery and Professional learning meetings, that they know the students well and plan accordingly for the cohort. 

Both are strong contributors to the Bellarine Early Years Network supporting and learning from others while attending the network meeting above and beyond their usual duties at school. 

Nick Westerman- has added value to the year 4 team and school by connecting us with data analysis and effect size tools from his previous school. Alongside his year 4 colleagues Zara Comte, Alana Bindokas and Kyle Westerman (who all apply the tools Nick has brought along) we are seeing targeted teaching every day for our year 4 cohort with specific measurement of teacher impact for a cycle of learning. These tools are already being applied in other teams. .

Mandy Lord - Mandy has come to us this year from Northern Bay College and her contributions to the school climate and her team are already very visible. Mandy is highly organised and the climate in her classroom is positive, predictable and student centred. What stands out to me is her connection to all students and their needs. Her experience shines through with individualising teaching, learning and the environment to suit the needs of all students in her class. 

 

Attendance

If your family are planning an extended holiday, please notify your child’s teacher at least two weeks before the holiday and organise a time to meet with your child’s teacher to develop a Student Absence Learning Plan. This is to ensure that you are able to support you child with their learning whilst away (and to make sure that they don’t miss out on too much of their learning). 

 

An aim for our school this year is to maximise attendance and eliminate unexplained absences. To support the elimination of unexplained absences we will be putting a process in place where parents will be contacted by the school the first school day after an unexplained absence by a member of the admin team. 

 

The aim of this process will be to tidy up the records for accuracy and support parents in processing the information.

 

To minimise the calls we need to make we ask that parents develop the habit of using COMPASS to record all absences on the morning of the absence before school begins. If you don't know how to do this contact the office for a tutorial. Thank you for your support with this!

 

The Restorative Approach 

Responding to situations restoratively is our preferred approach because:

  • In a restorative response, schools are reminded that when a student does something ‘against the rules’ the important thing is not that a rule has been broken but there is an opportunity to learn.
     
  • Schools create rules for the purpose of helping us stay safe and live well together.  This idea helps move the focus beyond rules to the people involved and the relationships that have been impacted.
  •  Each situation is unique, each person involved has different needs, and each solution looks different.  What remains the same is that we seek to repair harm and make things as right as possible.

This is very different from a punitive approach that seeks to blame, shame and give a ‘wrongdoer’ what they ‘deserve’.

The difference can be seen in the questions that are asked when something occurs using a Restorative approach.

  • What happened?
  • Who has been harmed/impacted?
  • What needs to happen to make things as right as possible?
  • What happened and what were you thinking at the time?
  • What have you thought about since?
  • Who has been affected by what happened? How do you think they’ve been affected?
  • What about this has been the hardest for you?
  • What do you think needs to be done to make things as right as possible?

I encourage you to apply these questions at home when you can. Remember to communicate with school if you are worried about a situation. 

 

The importance of Effort in Academic Achievement

Teaching students how to make an effort is essential because it equips them with skills that will serve them well throughout their lives. Here are some reasons why it is important:

  1. Develops Resilience: Making an effort teaches students to persevere and keep going, even when things get difficult. This resilience is an essential life skill that helps them bounce back from setbacks and cope with challenges.
  2. Builds Self-Confidence: When students see the results of their hard work and effort, it can boost their self-confidence and self-esteem. They learn to trust in their abilities and believe in themselves, which is crucial for success in all areas of life.
  3. Develops a Growth Mindset: A growth mindset is the belief that one's abilities and intelligence can be developed through hard work and dedication. When students learn how to make an effort, they are more likely to adopt a growth mindset and view challenges as opportunities for growth and improvement.
  4. Increases Motivation: When students learn how to make an effort, they become more motivated to achieve their goals. They learn that success is not just about talent but also about hard work and dedication.
  5. Develops Time Management Skills: Making an effort involves setting goals and managing time effectively. Students who learn how to make an effort also learn how to prioritize tasks, manage their time, and work efficiently.

This idea connects strongly to our Positive Education Model which doubles as an approach to develop dispositions and character strengths including a strong emphasis on Accomplishment and strong focus in 2023 on Academic emphasis. 

 

Voluntary Contributions

On behalf of the admin staff and School Councillors, I would like to thank the families for their goodwill and support of the school. We have approximately 60% of the maximum amount we can receive from voluntary contributions which enables the effective day to day running of the school as well as preparing for the future for our facility and programs. 

 

Again, thank you for your contributions so far!